7.0 Infant Challenges
A knowledge of what conditions or events are linked with decreased initiation or duration of breastfeeding will help you to focus your breastfeeding assistance and education activities to those in most need.
Infant Risk Factors
- birth trauma
- intrapartum analgesics or anaesthetics
- the 'late preterm' (34 to 38 weeks gestation)
- inconsistent ability to latch on
- sleepiness or irritability
- hyperbilirubinemia
- hypoglycemia
- either small (intrauterine growth retardation) or large for gestational age baby
- ankyloglossia (tight lingual frenulum or tongue-tie)
- multiples (twins, triplets or more)
- neuromotor problems (eg Down Syndrome)
- oral abnormalities (ie cleft of lip and/or palate)
- acute or chronic illness
In this course we will only cover the most commonly presenting problems. For some conditions, such as neuromotor problems and oral abnormalities, the mother and baby will require a practitioner with a lot of experience and advanced skills. Early referral to a Lactation Consultant is recommended for these babies and others where the usual management strategies aren't quickly producing the expected results.
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![]() Don't endanger breastfeeding by delaying referral.
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